McLaren were praised almost unanimously in F1 news for their mid-season progress last season. In 2024, however, the levels of expectation and pressure will continue to rise.
Andrea Stella and Zak Brown began last year on the defensive. The McLaren team principal and CEO admitted that the MCL60 would get off to a slow start – citing missed development targets over winter.
However, they also promised that upgrades would correct the team’s performance. As the year progressed, it was only Mika Hakkinen who seemed to understand the potential for growth at Woking.
After starting the year as the 6th or 7th-fastest team, the Double World Champion made a bold prediction. Hakkinen revealed his expectation that McLaren was capable of challenging Red Bull later in the season.
To the surprise of many, this prophetic-like statement was proven correct.
McLaren MCL60 in Bahrain pre-season testing
Lando Norris became a regular challenger to Max Verstappen, albeit more so in qualifying than on race day.
Regardless, results and points came quickly for the British outfit. Even rookie Oscar Piastri managed to establish himself as an F1 podium finisher, gathering valuable experience in his maiden season.
Perhaps the most encouraging development for the British team was the effectiveness of their upgrades. Unlike rivals Mercedes and Ferrari, Andrea Stella’s team made constant progress with their new parts.
In a generation of cars that can be extremely sensitive and thrown outside their ideal operating window, this is an impressive feat.
Provided that McLaren maintains this momentum, it seems plausible they can establish themselves as a top team in F1.
The 2024 cars will have significant overlap with their 2025 successors. Therefore, the pecking order in Bahrain could be significant for two successive years.
“I think we will have more momentum going into next year,” argued Zak Brown after last year concluded.
“They start talking about taking more technical risks, being more aggressive.
“Like we don’t want to be just as good. We need to be better.
“We knew we’d be at the sharp end, and we want the really sharp end. So there’s a real quiet confidence – but no arrogance.”
There is certainly a wave of positivity at McLaren F1, which continues to grow.
What’s more encouraging for Team Papaya is that many of their reinforcements are still arriving. David Sanchez and Rob Marshall (engineers signed from Ferrari and Red Bull) will start working with the team in 2024.
McLaren’s new infrastructure will start bearing fruits over the next eighteen months, putting the team in a strong position before the regulations change.
In any case, the World Champion team is asserting itself as a headache for rivals.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
